Umthombo: Kulezi Zikhathi
NgoMashi 18, uMnyango wezeMfundo wabaphathi be-Biden umemezele ukuthi uzokhansela u-$1 ibhiliyoni esikweletini semalimboleko yabafundi esiphethwe ngu 72,000 ababolekayo ababe eqanjelwe ngamanyuvesi enza inzuzo. Laba bafundi bathola imfundo ye-subprime kanye namadigri angenamsebenzi, base bethweswa izikweletu ngokuvamile emashumini ezinkulungwane zamaRandi - konke lokhu izinkampani ezidla inyama nabatshalizimali bazo benza izigidi.
Okuwukuphela kwesizathu sokuthi lesi sikweletu sikhanselwe ingoba abakweletayo bahlelekile. Ku 2015, abafundi abavela ezenzweni zenzuzo, manje esezingasekho iCorinthian Colleges Inc. bethule isiteleka sokuqala sezwe sabafundi sezikweletu, benqaba ukukhokha imali ebolekiwe ngoba beqolwe isikole sabo. Okokuqala, balwa nokuphathwa kuka-Obama, kwase kuba nokuphatha kukaTrump. Njengomphumela oqondile wale mizamo, lokhu kunqoba kwakamuva kusho ukuthi uhulumeni wase-US uphoqwe ukuqeda cishe i-$2 izigidigidi zamaRandi ezikweletini kuze kube manje.
Manje, sidinga ukuqhubeka nabakuqalile. Kufanele silwe ukuze siqinisekise ukuthi wonke ama- $1.7 isigidintathu sesikweletu sabafundi sikhanseliwe. Sinewindi lokwenza umlando. Njengommeli u-Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) wathi ngoMashi 12 ngemuva kokuphasiswa kwe-American Rescue Plan, โ[mina] uma unendaba nokwesulwa kwezikweletu zabafundi, sekuyisikhathi sakho. Udinga ukuhlanganisa, manje yisikhathi sokuhlela ukudala ingcindezi yezepolitiki."
Futhi sinjalo. Kusukela ngoMashi 29 kuze kube ngu-April 4, abanezikweletu nabalingani bethu bayoba Ukuthatha ingxenye yesonto le-Debt Collective yesenzo sokukhansela SONKE isikweletu semalimboleko yabafundi. Imicimbi ihlelelwe eNew York City, eChicago, e-Albuquerque, e-Denver, e-Knoxville, e-Washington DC, e-Los Angeles nakwezinye eziningi ezweni lonke. Sikholelwa ukuthi manje yisikhathi sokubandakanyeka futhi singene emigwaqweni ebonakalayo kanye nedijithali, ngoba asikwazi ukuhlala silinde izikhulu ezikhethiwe ukuthi zizenzele ngokwazo. Kufanele siwaphushe ngokubamba imicimbi, amarali, amamashi, amabhange ocingo nezinye izenzo zokudala ingcindezi nokukhulisa ukulwa kwethu.
Nakuba izinkampani kanye nabacebile bethola ibheyili lapho bebhekene nezinkinga, akukho lutho olumane lunikezwe isigaba sabasebenzi. Kodwa singawina - uma sihlela ndawonye. Yonke imigomo enenqubekelaphambili kuleli lizwe yalwelwa: kwathatha inhlangano yamalungelo omphakathi ukuqinisa leli zwe eduze nobulungiswa bezinhlanga; abesifazane bamasha futhi bathatha isinyathelo ukuze bawine ilungelo lokuvota, futhi kungenxa yabasebenzi abatelekile futhi bathatha izinyathelo zokulwa ukuthi sibe 8โihora lomsebenzi nezimpelasonto. Ukukhansela isikweletu akufani. Abakweletwayo kumele babumbane ukuze izwi lethu lizwakale futhi kuhlangatshezwane nezidingo zethu.
UMongameli Biden ukhankasele isithembiso sokuthethelela u-$10,000 sesikweletu semalimboleko yabafundi sawo wonke umuntu, kanye nokukhululwa okwengeziwe kubaboleki abakhethiwe. Lesi yisinyathelo esihle, kodwa uhlelo lwakhe lusashiya ngaphandle izigidi zabantu futhi aluwubheki umsuka wale nkinga.
Isikhathi sokukhansela sonke isikweletu semalimboleko yabafundi futhi wakhe indlela eya ekolishi elingafundi. Ikhansela i-$10,000 noma ngisho ne-$50,000 (inani eligqugquzelwa amaDemocrats okuhlanganisa noSeni waseMassachusetts u-Elizabeth Warren) lingcono kunalutho, kodwa uma lokho kuphela uBiden akwenzayo, uzoshiya amashumi ezigidi zabantu baseMelika icwile ezikweletini. Ngenhlanhla, uBiden angakhansela sonke isikweletu semalimboleko yabafundi njengamanje esebenzisa igunya analo kuMthetho Wezemfundo Ephakeme.
Imfundo ephakeme e-United States iphukile ngokuyisisekelo. Ohulumeni bakahulumeni kanye nezifunda ukushaya ngempama isabelomali semfundo, kanye nezindleko zokufunda kuvulandi. Phakathi 2008 futhi 2018, kwaqhuma ukufundiswa 37%, futhi izindleko zasenyuvesi zikhule cishe cishe 25% - kodwa izifunda ezichithiwe, ngokwesilinganiso, 20% ngaphansi kwemfundo ephakeme. Khonamanjalo, izindleko zerenti kanye nogesi ziyaqhubeka nokukhuphuka kuyilapho umholo omncane we-$7.25 ihora lihlezi limile.
Izibalo zilula: kunegebe, futhi ligcwaliswa yizikweletu. Esikhathini esidlule 10 iminyaka, inani lemali mboleko yabafundi yanda ngaphezu 100%. Abanye bakhomba ezinhlelweni ezikhona zikahulumeni zokukhokha imali ebolekiwe kanye nokuthethelela njengezixazululo zale nkinga yezikweletu enyantisayo. Kodwa, naphezu kwezigidi zabafake izicelo, kuphela 32 abantu babe ofanelekile ngokukhansela imali engenayo.
Ake sibuyele emuva ku- 72,000 abafundi abaqole abazohlomula ngokunyamalala kwalelo $1 izigidigidi zezikweletu. Ngokudabukisayo, abanye abangenakubalwa basahlupheka: 90% yababoleki ababekhona athuke ngezikole zabo bathi banqatshelwe usizo. Izilungiso zamanje zikahulumeni wobumbano azisebenzi.
Umfelandawonye wabavoti usekele uBiden emkhankasweni wakhe wokuba ngumongameli ngoba leli lizwe lidinga uguquko olujulile, nangenxa yokuthi uzibophezele ekusuleni isikweletu sabafundi. NgingumSulumane waseNingizimu Asia ophuma emndenini wesigaba sabasebenzi, futhi okwamanje ngiphethe imali engaphezu kuka-$70,000 esikweletini sabafundi. Into yokugcina engifuna ukuyibona ukubuyela ku-"evamileโ ebeka engozini imiphakathi yethu kanye nentambo edabukile yentando yeningi esisenayo. Isikhathi sokubhekana nezinkinga zangempela ezidale le nkinga esikuyo njengamanje. Ukwenza kanjalo kuzosiza abantu abasebenza kuzo zonke izigaba zokuphila.
Ukuhlelela izikweletu kungifundise ukuthi le nkinga yande kangakanani. Abantu bangihlebela buthule, njengokungathi yibona bodwa abadonsa kanzima, lapho isikweletu semalimboleko yabafundi sithinta inqwaba yethu: othisha, abahlengikazi, abasebenzi besitolo segrosa, abaculi, abathuthukisi bewebhu, abacwaningi, izintatheli, abantu abangakaze bathweswe iziqu, abantu abangasebenzi. Nalabo abangenaso lesi sikweletu? Abaningi babo bake benza ngaphambili, ngakho bayazi ukuthi basebenze kanzima kangakanani ukuze bakhokhele nokuthi kungani kungafanele kudingeke omunye umuntuโnoma bazi othile ohluphekayo: udadewabo, umfowabo, ingane noma umzala.
Isikweletu akumele sibe imfihlo yethu eyihlazo. Kungaba amandla ethu sonke kanye nomzabalazo esiwuhlanganyelayo. Uma inkinga ithinta 45 izigidi zabantu, akulona iphutha lomuntu ngamunye. Senza lokho sonke esiyalwe ukuba sikwenze: ukuya esikoleni, sizame ukuthola iziqu, bese sizama ukuthola umsebenzi oholela kahle. Kodwa lolu hlelo alwakhelwanga ukuthi lusebenzele abantu abasebenzayo.
Isikweletu semalimboleko yabafundi siwudaba lobulungiswa bezinhlanga. Umthwalo omkhulu wezikweletu uphethwe abantu abamnyama nabansundu. Ifa elijulile lokucwasa ngokwesakhiwo kuleli lizwe livimbele le miphakathi ithuba lokwakha ingcebo yezizukulwane, ngakho-ke kufanele ibolekwe imali eyengeziwe ukuze iye esikoleni. Uma sebesebenza, abantu abamnyama nabansundu bavame ukwenza okuncane. Okokuqala uqala ungenalutho, bese uyajeziswa ngokuzama ukuthuthukisa impilo yakho. Lokhu mhlawumbe kungani 40% yabavoti abamnyama wathi ngeke bavotele ikhandidethi eliphikisa ukuqedwa kwesikweletu semalimboleko yabafundi.
Isikweletu semalimboleko yabafundi siyinkinga yezizukulwane, ngoba manje abantu abayizigidi eziyisithupha phakathi kweminyaka yobudala 50โ-โ64 futhi 870,000 abantu abangaphezu kweminyaka yobudala 65 usabambe isikweletu semalimboleko yabafundi. Kulabo asebethathe umhlalaphansi, esikhundleni sokuphumula ngemva kokusebenza kanzima, bathola isinxephezelo sabo sezenhlalakahle phezu kwezinkokhelo zezikweletu zabafundi abangazikhokhi ngenxa yokuthi bebempofu kakhulu ukuba bangazikhokha.
Okokugcina, isikweletu semalimboleko yabafundi siyinkinga yobulungisa kwezomnotho. Abantu abacebile akudingeki baboleke ukuze baye ekolishi, kodwa cishe wonke umuntu uyayenza. Isikweletu semalimboleko yabafundi sithinta kakhulu izifunda nezifunda ezimpofu, ezindaweni zasemakhaya nasemadolobheni. Isibonelo, izakhamizi zaseTennessee, lapho kuzoba nemibhikisho emibili ngesonto elizayo, babe ngaphezu kwe-$29 izigidigidi ezikweletini.
Akumangalisi ukuthi ukwesulwa kwesikweletu esigcwele kusekelwe ngeningi labavoti, kumaqembu ezepolitiki. Ukwesulwa kwezikweletu kuyisikhuthazo esidingeka ngokujulile izwe lethu elisifunayo nesilidingayo. Kungafaka izigidigidi zamaRandi emnothweni wethu futhi kuvuleke izinkulungwane zemisebenzi. Kunomthelela kakhulu lokho kuvota imibukiso 1 in 5 Abavoti baseRiphabhlikhi bathi bangacabanga ukuvotela amaDemocrat uma uBiden ekhansele isikweletu.
Singaqiniseka ukuthi amabhange nezinkampani ezibolekisa ngemali azihlebi ngamahloni ngokuthi zingaki izimpilo ezizicekele phansi. Kunalokho, bamemezela ukuthi inzuzo yabo ibaluleke kakhulu, ukukhulula imibiko yamanga ngedatha engabazekayo mayelana nokuthi ukukhansela isikweletu semalimboleko yabafundi ngeke kubasize kanjani abantu abampofu, kanye nokunxenxa indlela yabo yezigidigidi ezengeziwe ngoxhaso lwabo kanye nemigomo yabo eyisisekelo.
Uma bengenakho ukuzisola ngokukhohlisa nokuqhubeka nokuxhaphaza 45 izigidi zethu, kungani kufanele sizizwe sinamahloni ngokuthatha izikweletu ukuze sithuthukise izimpilo zethu nemiphakathi yethu? Kunalokho, masihlele ndawonye ukukhansela izikweletu zethu zamanje futhi siqinisekise ukuthi izizukulwane ezizayo azidingeki zihlupheke kanje.
Ngesonto elizayo, abakweletayo nabasizi bethu bazohlangana ku-inthanethi futhi bangaxhunyiwe ku-inthanethi, emadolobheni nasemagunjini e-Zoom ezweni lonke. Sizoba namamashi namarali, imibuthano yabakweletayo sicobelelana ngezindaba, ama-banner drops nezinye izenzo.
Zonke izenzo zizobukeka zihluke kancane. Kodwa ngayinye yazo izoba namandla, ngoba noma nini lapho abantu behlangana ukuze baguqule izinto, siyisinyathelo esisodwa esiseduze nobulungiswa nenkululeko.
Umme Hoque unguMqondisi Ohlelayo kuQembu Lezikweletu.
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